Simplifications in the Solution of Column Interaction Problems

Abstract

This paper outlines time saving procedures that may be employed by structural engineers to design columns subjected to combined axial and bending stress. Two procedures are described, each of which involves precalculated coefficients for insertion in the present column tables of the AISC Manual. A discussion of these tables and their use has already been published. Method A provides a short-cut procedure for selecting a column shape from the Manual tables with a reasonable degree of accuracy. It is a rapid method for preliminary design, sufficiently accurate for many commonly encountered design problems. Method B is a modification of the existing interaction Equations (6), (7a) and (7b) which appear on page 3—10 of the AISC Manual, which are derived directly from formulas in the AISC Specification.